Pretending?
by Chiyala
Summary: After a long solo mission, Rogue gets ill... [Domestic Fluff and Christmas Fluff]


**My Secret Santa present for littlekilljoygajevy on tumblr.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

It was the beginning of December, and it had gotten cold. So cold that Rogue cursed his past self for not thinking about the possibility that his mission with Frosch would take more than a week and thus hadn't packed warmer clothes. The mission had left them no opportunity to go shopping for clothes, seeing as there was neither the time nor any shop close by.

So, by the time Rogue and Frosch arrived at the house they shared with Sting and Lector, Rogue's body had gone near completely numb, and it was a miracle that he could still lift his arm and bang the elbow against the wooden door—his hands were numb. Frosch collapsed headfirst into the snow as soon as he arrived at the doorstep a few seconds later.

When Rogue heard Sting and Lector letting out shouts of joy while approaching the door, he nearly let himself succumb to unconsciousness. But there was one thing he didn't want to miss out no matter what: Seeing Sting's smiling face again after over a month of not seeing him at all.

The door flew open and revealed two happy faces, shouting "Welcome home!", only to freeze in shock when they saw the condition their friends were in.

Rogue managed a shaky "W-w-we're h-ho-home" before his sight narrowed down and he lost all sense of balance. Warm arms wrapping around his body were the last thing he remembered before he lost consciousness.

* * *

The next days were a blur of heat and sweat, of nice smells and wet towels on his forehead. On the rare occasions that Rogue was able to focus briefly on his surroundings, he saw Sting's eyes fixing his, concern written all over them.

The first time it happened, he asked, "F-Fro... a-alright?"

Rogue wasn't sure if his question had come out coherent, but when Sting smiled and squeezed his hand the next moment, he knew that Sting understood.

"Don't worry. Frosch has a cold, but Lector is with him."

Sting's lips still moved after that, but the sounds didn't reach Rogue's ear—he was so relieved that his friend was okay that he passed out again.

* * *

The first time Rogue was awake and aware of his surroundings for more than a few minutes, Sting was by his side, calling for Frosch to come. Frosch had tears in his eyes when he flew right into Rogue's arms, saying that he was worried sick over Rogue. It took Rogue a solid half hour to calm him down. Sting was there all the while, watching them in silence, waiting patiently until Frosch said he would leave them alone again.

Since then, Sting always seemed to be there when Rogue was awake. Once he even found Sting asleep in his chair next to the bed in the middle of the night, which caused him to feel warm inside, but also guilty. How did Sting have that much time to look after Rogue? Did he neglect his duties as a guild master? Had he devolved the duty to somebody else for the time being? Rogue didn't want to be the reason why Sabertooth lost their guild master, even if it was just temporarily.

He knew it was a bad thing, rationally, but his body wasn't listening to reason anymore. Seeing the one he'd been secretly in love with for as long as he could remember sleep with a content expression, a stripe of drool running down his chin, while knowing he was here only because he was worried for Rogue... it made his heart pound against his ribcage and his insides all warm and fuzzy.

With the indirect moonlight being the only source of light, Rogue's room was near completely dark, but due to the nature of his magic and his sharp Dragon Slayer senses, Rogue could see Sting as clearly as ever. His body moved on its own volition, stretching out a hand towards Sting's cheek, touching the edge of his lips and wiping away the drool from his face. Sting stirred, but didn't wake up. He mumbled something incomprehensible, making Rogue smile.

The desire to kiss Sting was as strong as ever, but Rogue knew that, firstly, he was still ill and probably contagious, and secondly, Sting wouldn't want to be kissed while asleep. On the off chance that Sting returned Rogue's feelings, he'd be sad that their first kiss happened when he wasn't able to reciprocate. And in the much likelier case he wasn't in love with Rogue, he'd feel betrayed, used, and maybe filthy.

Holding hands seemed much less serious, plus it was something they had already done a few times for various reasons, so he carefully slid his hand into Sting's and intertwined their fingers. Sting let out a content sigh and his lips pulled into a little smile. Rogue only remembered to breathe when his lungs started to hurt and his head spun.

That night, Rogue dreamed of Sting and himself holding hands, lying on a beach on a sunny summer day, sharing soft kisses and sweet words of affections.

* * *

When Rogue woke up the next morning, Sting was gone, and his hand felt cold. He wondered whether he'd clung to Sting even more as the night went on, whether he'd scared Sting off. However, when said Dragon Slayer entered his room a minute later with a bowl of steaming soup in hand, a bright smile on his face, all negative thoughts vanished at once.

Rogue's health improved tremendously after that incident, and a few days later he was back to normal, able to go to the guild again. Everyone was busy decorating the guild hall for Christmas, seeing as it was already the fifteenth of December. They dropped everything at once when they saw Rogue in favor of crowding him, telling him that he had them worried and bombarding him with questions on how he felt or how it had come to this.

It turned out that Minerva had offered to take over the duties of the guild master and Sting had accepted gratefully.

When the fuss calmed down and everyone was busy decorating again, Rufus approached Rogue to ask something, only to find his mouth covered by Sting's hand before the question made any sense to Rogue:

"Have you already decided—"

Sting shooed him away, as he did anyone else who attempted to make small talk with Rogue on that day. It was highly suspicious, and just when Rogue thought he might be able to overhear a conversation of his guild mates about what was going on, Sting let out a squeal that left his ears ringing, and pulled him into the master's office.

As soon as the door slammed shut, Rogue broke free from Sting's grip, glaring at his best friend. "What the hell, Sting?!"

"S-sorry."

He really did look sorry, but leaving Rogue out of something that seemed to be important and required him to make any kind of choice wasn't something Rogue deemed worth granting forgiveness for. Even if Sting's reasons were probably noble, Rogue wanted to know.

"Tell me."

Sting bit his lower lip, his brows tensing. "I... I _will_ tell you, just... could you wait until we're at home in the evening? I... I want to tell you... when we're at home... and alone..."

The last bit was barely a whisper. A faint blush adorned Sting's cheeks and his heartrate was elevated—it caused Rogue's body to mirror the physical reactions. How could he say 'no' now? It was impossible. He didn't trust his voice, so he just gave a small nod. Sting's expression brightened immediately, and Rogue had only a split second to prepare for his best friend throwing himself into his arms.

"Thanks, Rogue..."

"Y-you're w-welcome."

Rogue had trouble concentrating on decorating for the remainder of the day, toppling over some boxes of decorations and accidentally putting the decorations upside down. Several guild members asked him if he was sure that he was alright, and even Frosch said that he should probably rest more because 'his forehead was still warm to the touch'.

When they finally were on their way home, Rogue was relieved to be away from the overbearing behavior of their guild mates on the one hand, but on the other hand he was growing more and more nervous the closer they got to their house. He didn't have the slightest clue what to expect. When Lector announced that he'd forgotten something important at the guild hall a few steps before their arrival, and pulled Frosch along with him, Rogue's nervousness doubled.

As soon as they reached the living room, Sting motioned towards the sofa and said, "Sit down."

Unable to say anything, Rogue complied, waiting impatiently for Sting to come back from the kitchen. He heard the sounds of mugs clattering and the microwave being turned on. Rogue noticed that his palms were sweating, and rubbed them at his trousers, only for them to be sweaty again a few seconds later. He sighed, hoping that whatever Sting had planned wouldn't involve hands grabbing.

A few minutes later, Sting came back with two steaming mugs, accompanied by a heavenly smell of hot chocolate that made Rogue forget his nervousness for a moment. He _loved_ hot chocolate! And Sting knew it... He usually prepared hot chocolate for Rogue to mollify him. Did Sting do something bad or stupid or both at once in the time Rogue wasn't around? Or while Rogue had been out cold? It would be so typical.

Sting set the mugs down on the coffee table, tea for himself, and hot chocolate for Rogue. He sat down on Rogue's right side, leaving a generous distance between them. A clever thing to do if he was about to enrage Rogue.

"Err... well. While you were on that mission, we talked about this year's Christmas event..."

Rogue nodded, urging Sting to go on while mentally telling himself to calm down, that it probably wasn't that big of an issue, that Sting probably meant well and it just had gotten out of hand...

Sting gulped. "We decided to hold a Christmas ball."

Oh. Well, that didn't sound too bad, at least so far. But then again, Sting was the only one in their guild who couldn't dance. They had all attended at least a basic dance class—all except for Sting. For some reason, he always refused to join because he didn't have a sense for rhythm, didn't have the time, and just _didn't want to_.

When Sting didn't look like he would continue talking anytime soon, Rogue decided to push. "Okay. And what did you do this time?"

Sting flinched and then pouted. "Why do people always think the worst of me?"

"Because it's true most of the time, _and_ you prepared hot chocolate for me."

"W-well, today's a first then! I didn't do anything bad... well, not yet..."

Sting cast his glance down, fixing his eyes onto the regular pattern of the sofa. Rogue could tell that he was growing nervous again, with his pulse quickening and his scent changing. He waited patiently for Sting to say something for what felt like at least a minute, but Sting appeared to be frozen solid.

"So, are you going to tell me anytime soon what 'bad' things you're planning to do?"

It was meant to come out as annoyed, but Rogue couldn't quite mask his nervousness, so his voice sounded a bit croaky.

Dropping his head even lower so that Rogue was unable to see his face, Sting said with an unusual guilty tone, "We decided that everyone needs to find a partner who will go with them to the ball. I overheard a conversation between Yukino and Minerva the day before you came back home. Minerva hopes that I'll ask her out, and she also said that she hopes that she'll 'finally be able to make a move on me'."

Rogue's heart sank, a cold shiver of fear running down his spine, choking him. So the time had come, then. Rogue had foolishly hoped that Sting would stay single forever, although he'd always known that Sting would eventually start dating. That he'd made it until nineteen without even a fling—as far as Rogue knew—was already a miracle on its own.

"However... I'm not into her, and I'm kind of afraid of the consequences if I reject her."

Rogue hadn't noticed that he'd held his breath until that very moment. He sucked in a huge breath, shattering the invisible hand that was squeezing his airways as relief washed through him.

When Sting lifted his head and met Rogue's gaze for a second before averting it again, Rogue's breath hitched once more. There was an insecurity and softness in Sting's eyes that he'd never seen before.

"S-so... I wanted to ask you for help."

"You want _me_ to tell our Lady—sorry, but no. I don't have a death wish."

That made Sting look back up, expression shocked. "No! Hell, as if I'd ask something like _that_ of you!"

Rogue exhaled audibly in relief. "How do you want me to help then?"

Sting bit his lower lip, his brows tensing. "I-if you don't mind... would you—" he gulped— "pretend to be my boyfriend until the ball is over?"

Okay, this was it. He was already _so_ desperate that his mind played tricks on him.

 _'Maybe I'm still ill... I should probably go to bed...'_

But then again, Sting was looking at him with such a vulnerable look, awaiting an answer.

"Come again?"

Sting flinched like a child that had just been caught doing something it shouldn't. "Sorry, you're right, it's a stupid idea, you don't need to do it, I just thought that if I made Minerva believe that I'm gay and in a relationship, she wouldn't try to hit on me, that I wouldn't have to deal with—"

"Woah, stop. Take a deep breath and calm down. I wasn't implying that I'm against the idea. I just thought my ears were playing tricks on me."

Sting's eyes lit up instantly. "So you'll do it?"

Frankly, all Rogue wanted was to shout _'Hell yes!'_ , but that would feel like revealing his feelings—something he shouldn't do when all Sting wanted was to avoid having to deal with Minerva. The most logical reaction for him, provided that he wasn't in love with Sting, would be a calculating one.

"What would it entail if I said 'yes'?"

Rogue gave his best to make a curious face even though he was internally freaking out, already imagining them holding hands, hugging, kissing... When he felt warmth rising in his cheeks, he scolded himself, and forced his attention back on the present—on Sting, who fixed him with a mixture of joy and insecurity.

"You'd have to pretend you're in love with me; act all lovey-dovey with me in front of our guild mates, especially Minerva..."

Rogue had to bite his lip in order not to blurt out anything that would reveal his feelings. Sting's posture stiffened when he noticed the movement.

"W-well... N-no need to go as far as _kis—_ "

"I didn't say anything. Stop assuming things, and just tell me everything. I'll decide after I hear you out."

Sting looked taken aback for a second, but he caught himself quickly.

"Okay. You'd have to teach me how to dance and be my partner for the Christmas ball. That's it. If Minerva doesn't give up until then, I guess it's useless anyway."

"And what would _I_ get out of this?"

 _'I'll get to hug you, say you're my boyfriend, maybe even kiss you, spend time with you, touch you lots, teach you how to dance, be close to you...'_

All of this was more than Rogue ever wished for, but if he said 'yes' just like that, Sting would eventually grow wary.

The question made Sting's jaw drop, revealing perfect white teeth, a tongue which Rogue had wanted to feel against his lips, in his mouth, on his skin for _years_. He knew that he was staring, but it was hard not to. Everything he'd ever wanted was _right there_ , being offered to him on a silver tray...

No, that wasn't right—not everything. Sting wasn't offering his heart, so Rogue needed to take care of his. Rogue knew that there was a chance that Sting did this because he _was_ in love with Rogue and just feared his reaction to a love confession. The odds that this was true seemed rather low, with Sting usually being one for blurting things out without thinking about the consequences. But then again, love was an important topic, and if Sting truly was in love, then he would naturally worry about such things.

 _'Don't be stupid, it's much more likely that he's just afraid of our Lady... and who wouldn't in his position?'_

"Rogue? Everything okay?"

"Wha—oh. Yeah. I was just thinking about what I'd like to get in return."

"And?"

Sting looked at him hopefully, but nothing came to Rogue's mind, so he smirked and said, "First I want to hear your offer."

"Meanie. Fine. Give me a second."

Instead of answering, Rogue directed his attention toward his hot chocolate, encompassing the mug to check on the temperature. It seemed to have cooled off enough so that he wouldn't burn his tongue. Perfect. He lifted the mug to his mouth, closing his eyes as the warm, sweet liquid poured into his mouth and made its way down his throat, warming up his insides. When was the last time he'd had such a tasty hot chocolate? Probably last winter. He'd had quite a few after that, but no hot chocolate could ever beat the one Sting prepared for him. Maybe he could ask Sting to prepare one for him every day until it got too warm for hot chocolate.

Sighing contently, Rogue let his gaze wander around their living room. It was clean and beautifully decorated, bathing the whole living room in a colorful mixture of little fairy lights.

After his illness, Rogue had expected their house to be dirty, seeing as Sting _loathed_ chores and usually did everything to avoid them. He even went as far as to procrastinate his cleaning duties until Rogue couldn't stand the dirt anymore, snapped, and did it himself.

It was the same for decorating their house every year for Christmas—Sting loved decorations but hated decorating. He usually spent far too long for basically anything, so that he ended up just draping fairy lights over their Christmas tree while Rogue, Lector, and Frosch did all the rest. Their Exceeds never seemed to notice, but Rogue did. Without fail, Sting would prepare a hot chocolate for him on the same evening, silently asking for forgiveness, and Rogue would always forgive him after the first sip. Damn Sting for knowing his weak spot.

All the more surprised was Rogue when he noticed that everything had already been taken care of when he'd first been able to leave his bed. He didn't ask whose credit it was, but it had to be Sting's. Their Exceeds never did chores on their own; they just dusted the high places after being asked. Maybe Rogue could also ask Sting to do the housework for a certain timespan.

Just when Rogue took the last sip of his drink, Sting said that he'd thought of something to offer.

"How about this: you can ask three things of me...? Whatever you want. As long as it's in my power."

Rogue set his mug down on their coffee table carefully before looking at Sting, whose expression was rather unsure.

"Anything? Also asking you to do all the chores for... say, a month?"

Sting's brow tensed, but he nodded.

"And if I say a year?"

Sting growled, showing his sharp canines, but Rogue wasn't impressed—he wanted to know just how much Sting was willing to give in return. A few moments went by without either of them moving before Sting finally sighed in defeat.

 _"Half a year._ But no more than that."

"So, half a year chores would be one favor of three?"

Sting gritted his teeth, his eyes shooting daggers at Rogue. Okay, so this was the maximum Sting was ready to give: Chores for half a year plus two more (maybe more reasonable) favors. He was _that_ afraid of their Lady's wrath.

Without thinking twice, Rogue stretched out his hand with a smile.

"I accept your offer."

After a second of evaluation and hesitation, Sting shook it, saying, "We don't have that much time left. Can we start with the first dancing lesson right now?"

It turned out that Sting was talented at dancing. The first moments in which Rogue showed Sting where to put his hands were awkward, but it looked like Sting eventually grew used to the new physical proximity.

They had always been close, even slept in the same bed countless times for several reasons— be it because of lack of space on missions, insomnia, or even because of one of them waking up screaming after a nightmare. Sometimes they'd even woken up clinging to the other. Dancing was just another form of physical intimacy—one that was agreed upon from both sides. One that involved holding Sting's hand, their faces so close that Rogue could feel every of Sting's exhales on his skin...

Rogue's palms became sweatier by the second, but Sting didn't seem to notice with his gloved hands, or if he noticed, he didn't mind, for he was in high spirits, demanding Rogue show him more moves. Seeing Sting like this, dancing, turning, following Rogue's cues... It warmed Rogue in ways he'd never experienced before.

They ended up dancing for most of the evening, and Rogue eventually calmed down somewhat after about half an hour. At the beginning, Rogue was just counting the steps, but after a few minutes, Sting suggested they use music instead. So they did, dancing to Christmas songs that made Rogue feel even warmer. They were so caught up in dancing and each other that they didn't even notice Frosch and Lector coming back home until Lector made a comment from right above them.

"You two look perfect together."

Startled, they jumped apart, eyeing their Exceeds with no small amount of shame.

"Fro thinks so, too!"

Lector took Fro's paw, pulling him towards their shared bedroom.

They'd furnished an extra room for their two Exceeds a few years ago, when Rogue had lashed out with his magic while having a nightmare. Frosch didn't want to sleep alone, and Lector complained constantly about Sting's snoring, so that solution had been the most reasonable one.

Lector winked at them, saying they should practice some more as they had only few days left before dragging Frosch into their room and shutting the door.

If it wasn't for the music, there would've been an awkward silence as soon as they were alone in the living room again. It was Sting who made the first move, gallantly pulling Rogue close to him. However, Rogue wasn't prepared and his legs refused to move, so he crashed into Sting, sending both toppling to the carpet. Rogue ended up on top, with his face only a few centimeters away from Sting's, way closer than they were while dancing.

All Rogue could do was stare into Sting's eyes. He knew he should get up, apologize for the accident, but he couldn't find it in him to move. Sting stared right back, not showing any inclination of moving either.

Eventually, Sting gulped and then said in a low voice, "I think we should kiss sometimes to convince the others that we're dating... But if it's our first kiss, it'll look clumsy and they'll probably notice..."

Was Sting really proposing what Rogue thought— _wished_ —he did? He was too close to see Sting's face fully, and he was unwilling to lift his head, so all he had to go on were Sting's eyes... His beautiful blue eyes, which were directed at Rogue, hesitancy and sincerity written in them. Rogue's mind was clouded, all his thoughts demanding _'lean down, kiss him'_.

So that was what he did; he leaned down ever so slowly, giving Sting the chance to protest, to push him away, to tell him that he'd misunderstood. But he didn't. Quite the opposite: Sting let his eyelids flutter shut as Rogue's nose made contact with his cheek. Rogue's mind blanked out completely, and he closed the small gap between them without any further hesitation, closing his eyes the moment their lips met.

It was Rogue's first kiss, and it felt better than he could ever have imagined. Sting's warm, soft lips moving against his, one of Sting's arms wrapping around his body to pull him closer, the other hand caressing Rogue's hair while deepening the kiss... It was pure bliss.

When Sting's tongue nudged at his lips, Rogue didn't understand at first. Sting tickled his nape, making Rogue's lips part in a silent moan. Only when Sting used the chance to push his tongue inside did Rogue catch up with what was going on.

His brain went into overdrive, asking too many questions at once, making his head spin with too many insecurities. But one sensation overshadowed everything: Sting's tongue felt _heavenly_ , and it sent jolts of pleasure straight to his groin... His groin, which was currently pressed against Sting's. _'Shit!'_

Rogue jumped to his feet, fled to his room, and slammed the door shut before Sting had the chance to do more than process that they weren't kissing anymore.

* * *

The atmosphere on the next day was cold—they didn't say a word and Sting fled to the master's office as soon as they set foot into the guild hall. Rogue let out a heavy sigh, but decided to throw himself into work and try to forget what had happened, at least for a little while. He'd already scolded himself enough as it was. Three hours of sleep was all he'd gotten the last night, so his nerves were already shot without his brain telling him over and over again that he'd royally fucked this up.

"You look like shit."

Rogue jumped at Minerva's voice so close to him—he'd spaced out without noticing, standing in the middle of the guild hall.

"Good morning. It's nice to see you, too."

Rogue casually lifted a hand in greeting, and then went away without waiting for Minerva's answer, busying himself with decorating the banisters.

* * *

Sting only emerged from his office when it was time for lunch. Rogue just finished decorating the railing, so he was on the second floor, staring down into the main hall. Up until that moment Rogue hadn't dared look at Sting's face at all, so he just then noticed the dark rings under his eyes. Lector was at Sting's side almost immediately, leaving Frosch, who was munching on a half-eaten fish, alone at the bar. Lector asked in a low voice if Sting was alright. In response, Sting flashed a bright smile at Lector, telling him that he didn't need to worry.

It was obviously fake. Why was Sting so exhausted? Had he also spent the night beating himself up over what happened? Was he blaming himself for taking the kiss too far? Did he think he'd made Rogue believe that there was more to it than just fending Minerva off? To be honest, the thought _did_ cross his mind, but Rogue dismissed it almost immediately, finding a thousand reasons why it was stupid to believe something like that.

Sting let his eyes wander through the room, searching for something. He didn't seem to find it, and just as his gaze wandered up to the second floor, Rogue noticed that Sting might be searching for _him_. He headed for the stairs before their eyes could meet, trying not to let on that he felt caught.

During lunch, the two Dragon Slayers sat on their usual chairs, next to each other. They still weren't talking, and eventually everyone else noticed. Rufus asked if they got into a fight, but Sting cut him off mid-sentence with a smile and the reassurance that everything was alright, that they were just a bit tired. And really, the excuse seemed likely, with both of them looking the way they did. Rufus whistled and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, which earned him a brutal shove and an angry glare from Minerva.

It took Rogue's sleep-deprived brain some seconds to realize what this was about, but when awareness trickled in, he blushed furiously and choked on his food. Sting patted his back and handed him a glass of water, a cautious smile on his face. Rogue accepted the glass thankfully, and when he was able to breathe again, he nodded at Sting, reciprocating the smile. Sting's smile grew wider, making Rogue's pulse spike. He quickly averted his gaze and concentrated on the food again until Yukino addressed him with a question.

"So, have you already decided who you want to ask out to the Christmas ball?"

Rogue hesitantly locked eyes with Sting, searching for confirmation that they were still pulling this off. Instead of giving Rogue a silent answer, Sting turned towards Yukino, a triumphant grin on his face.

"He'll go with me."

Minerva snapped her chopsticks into half. It was enough to make a cold shiver of fear run down Rogue's spine, but Sting didn't look impressed at all, seeing as he casually slung an arm around Rogue's middle and rested his chin on Rogue's shoulder.

"In fact, we're going out. Don't even think about asking Rogue out."

Sting's breath tickled Rogue's ear, and it was all Rogue could do to stay seated upright in his chair.

Everyone except for Minerva cheered and congratulated them; Rufus even said something about it being high time they got their shit together. Rogue wondered where Lector and Frosch were, since they'd been at the table when they'd started eating, but when he closed his eyes, he heard a muffled sniff from the toilets. Lector was trying to calm Frosch down, saying that it was just temporarily and no, Sting and Rogue didn't hate each other. Rogue felt a stab of guilt. He would apologize to his Exceed later.

Minerva had gone utterly stiff; she didn't even seem to care that the sharp ends of her broken chopsticks bored into her fingers and made them bleed. Yukino eventually extricated them from her grip, and led her to the guild's toilets.

As soon as they were out of sight, Sting let out a relieved sigh, slumping against Rogue's side. This would take some getting used to.

When the two girls came back, Minerva stiffly bowed to Sting and Rogue, muttering a 'congratulation' under her breath.

The rest of the day went on much the same as the morning, with Sting in his office, busy with paperwork, and the rest of the guild planning their Christmas ball.

* * *

The next days were a constant battle with himself and his overflowing emotions. Rogue had a hard time hiding his bodily reactions to Sting's proximity, be it his rapidly beating heart, sweaty palms, or even arousal. Their dancing lessons were extremely hard, but he wouldn't want to miss them out for anything in the world. They hadn't kissed since that first evening, not even in the guild hall. All they did was be a bit closer to each other like they normally would. A casual hug here, a hand squeeze there. Sometimes a loving stare.

Minerva hadn't talked to them in days, and it was late afternoon on the twenty-third when Rogue saw her storming into Sting's office without even knocking. She slammed the door, looking furious. Rogue _knew_ he shouldn't eavesdrop, but he couldn't help being worried. Seeing as he already sat very close to Sting's office and his ears were sharp enough to catch up every word that was uttered behind the door, it wasn't really his fault for overhearing, right? Rogue closed his eyes and let his head sink against the tabletop, focusing his attention on the conversation between Minerva and Sting.

 _"He-hey!_ At least knock!"

"When are you going to tell him?"

 _'Tell me... what?'_

Rogue felt a painful stab to his heart when his mind supplied him with all the different things this could mean, all of them involving Sting turning Rogue down one way or the other. However, he didn't have time to elaborate these thoughts, as Sting didn't let Minerva wait long for his answer.

"I... I can't. He's not... He doesn't feel _that_ way about me."

"And how would you know?"

"B-because... W-well... O-on the first day... something happened..."

"What exactly?"

"Th-that's... uh... too intimate..."

"Do you know what's even more intimate? Me castrating you for your _stupidity!"_

Rogue flinched, ready to barge in and defend Sting, but when Minerva let out a sigh, he relaxed.

"I'm tired of this, acting like a jealous teenager over you—it's gross. And I'll make sure to give you an appropriate punishment for me stabbing myself in the fingers."

"You could've just _not_ snapped those chopsticks into half, you kn—"

"Who begged me on his knees to make it as convincing as I possibly could, eh? Try to be more thankful."

Rogue heard Sting release a shuddering breath.

"Sorry. I _am_ thankful, I _really_ am. I'm just on edge these days... Sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you."

"If you're truly sorry then see that you confess to Rogue _soon_."

Rogue's head spun, and he had to struggle hard to follow the rest of the conversation, not wanting to miss out possibly important information. He could freak out over the fact that _Sting was apparently in love with him_ later.

"B-but he's not—"

"Do you even realize how he looks at you? I've been observing him quite a lot the past days, and there's a softness in his eyes whenever he looks your way that says that you're his whole world."

"He could just be faking it, we're supposed to be in a relationship after all, and—"

"Tomorrow."

"P-pardon?"

"I'll play along until tomorrow, until the Christmas ball begins. If you haven't confessed by then, that's your own fault, but I'm not ruining the evening by pretending to be in love with you. That would be unfair to Yukino. I want to enjoy the evening, as does she. She's already miffed that she can't hold my hand in the guild or do anything else. I only agreed to play along for _a few days_ , not until Christmas. I hope you're aware that your payment just doubled... or maybe tripled."

Sting groaned. "But two weeks is already so long!"

"Well, you should've used one of your dozen chances then. If you refuse now, I'll go and tell Rogue about this right away."

"Blackmailer."

"Damn right."

"Geez, alright. You'll get four weeks, okay?"

"Five."

Rogue couldn't help the image of a very sour looking Sting popping up in his mind, and he had to cover his mouth with both hands to stifle a laugh. Why did he feel the urge to cry, scream, laugh, and jump all over the place at the same time? His heart might combust any second.

 _"Fine."_ Rogue could hear Sting click his tongue. "Five weeks, not a single day more. Deal?"

"Deal." There was a short break, then Minerva's laugh resounded. "Seriously, you're too easy."

"Does that mean you're taking it back?"

Minerva answered in a sing-song voice, "No way! Five weeks, you shook my hand."

There was a small pause, and then she added in a serious tone, "Don't get me wrong. I really wish the two of you happiness. You're both head over heels for the other, yet you're both too goddamn stupid to _notice_ and take the first step."

"I..."

"Shh. Whatever reason you have to believe that he's not into you, I don't want to hear it. It's not true, and I wish you'd just trust Yukino and me on this and gather the courage to _do_ something."

"W-we kissed..."

It was a miracle Rogue even heard Minerva's small gasp over the noise of his own erratic heartbeat.

"When? How did it happen?"

"On the evening when he first came to the guild again... We danced, and then Frosch and Lector came home, so we stopped. Then, when we were alone again, I wanted to pull Rogue close for another dance, but he stumbled and we crashed to the floor... and then I kind of... suggested we practice kissing so that it doesn't look awkward when we do it in public."

"Awww, I underestimated you. Why aren't you a couple yet, then?"

"He suddenly broke the kiss, stormed off, and locked himself in his room."

"I see... But I'm sure that was because he was afraid to indulge too much, because he was scared you might break his heart if you noticed how he feels."

 _'Spot-on. Kudos!'_

Rogue was relieved that Sting hadn't told Minerva about his hard-on.

"I... haven't thought about it that way..."

"I figured. Well, now you do. Make the best of it."

When Rogue heard footsteps approaching the door, it was already too late for him to hide somewhere or start a conversation with anyone, so he pretended to be busy examining his glass of water.

As Minerva passed him, she shot him a scary look. Was she back to playing jealous again, or was she aware that Rogue overheard the conversation and was silently threatening him into making a move on Sting? Or was she simply annoyed with him for his behavior?

Rogue figured that a small nod was a reasonable reaction. She could interpret it however she wanted. When her eyes widened and she scurried off towards Yukino, he didn't really know if she understood or not—but his attention was drawn in by a certain blond mage leaning against the doorframe, eyeing Rogue curiously.

Sting pushed himself away from the doorframe, and strode over to Rogue. "It's late. Why don't we go home?"

With all the emotions running wild inside his gut, choking him up, all that Rogue could do was nod in response.

* * *

Rogue felt Sting's gaze on him continuously on their way home. Frosch and Lector flew a few meters behind them, with Lector telling Frosch something that sounded like tales of adventures he'd experienced with Sting. They seemed to be so caught up in it that they probably wouldn't bother listening to a conversation between the two Dragon Slayers. Reminding himself that there was nothing to fear anymore, Rogue gathered all his courage.

"What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"

Well, that wasn't what he'd wanted to say, but it was better than nothing.

Hesitantly, Sting answered, "No. I've been wondering... if you heard..."

Rogue gulped. He could just say 'yes', tell Sting that he felt the same way, that he didn't need to hide his feelings anymore, that he wanted to start going out for real. It was easy. So easy. Three letters. 'Y-e-s'.

But what came out of his mouth instead was: "Heard... what?"

He mentally kicked himself. Why was it so difficult, even though he already knew he had nothing to fear?

 _'Do I_ really _know? What if that whole conversation was set up? What if they're—Hell no, don't be stupid! There's no reason for Sting to do something like that. He'd never ever do something this cruel to me. He's in love with me, full stop.'_

Rogue somehow managed to keep a straight face as Sting examined him closely.

"If you don't know, then I guess you didn't hear..." A hesitant smile spread across Sting's face. "Never mind."

And with that, Sting riveted on the street, shutting the conversation down.

* * *

The living room was lit in dim, colorful light, a Christmas Carol suffusing the room with a snug atmosphere as Rogue spun Sting around again and again. It was warm—almost too warm for Rogue's liking. The fact that they'd already danced for about an hour didn't help, and neither did Rogue's knowledge that his best friend harbored romantic feelings towards him. He hoped that keeping Sting busy with new routines would prevent him from noticing just _how_ nervous Rogue was.

They hadn't spoken a word that was not dance-related since their awkward conversation on the way home. Frosch and Lector gave them the side-eye more than once during dinner, and Frosch was about to ask several times, but Lector always blurted out something that kept him busy. They fled to their room as soon as the table was cleared, leaving Sting and Rogue alone to their daily dancing lesson.

By the time the song ended, Rogue couldn't stand it anymore. He _needed_ to say or do _something_ , or he might just explode. So, when the next song started and Sting got ready for another dance, Rogue let go of his hand and wrapped both arms around Sting's torso, pulling him into a tight hug.

"Wha—R-Rogue?"

"Shhh. Please let me... Just for a little while..."

Rogue snuggled his face into the crook of Sting's neck, letting out a little huff as the fur of Sting's vest tickled his nose. Sting let out a shaky breath, and then wrapped his arms around Rogue's waist.

They fell silent, but with his sharp ears, Rogue could clearly hear their quickened heartbeats over the music, which meant that Sting would be able to hear them as well. He would notice that Rogue's pulse was just as quick as his own. He'd understand that Rogue was feeling the same.

 _'Please notice. Please understand.'_

It took some time for Sting to relax, but the moment when he finally did was tangible—he let out a content sigh, flexed his arms to press their bodies even closer, and buried his face in the crook of Rogue's neck, inhaling deeply. Rogue reveled in the feeling for a while before gathering all his courage.

He brought his mouth close to Sting's ear so that his exhales would brush it, and then whispered: "I'm sorry I played dumb earlier. I actually overheard yours and Minerva's conversation."

Sting's reaction was immediate; he tensed up to the point Rogue feared he might snap his backbone, and held his breath. Was he still afraid Rogue might reject him?

"Minerva... she's right. About _everything_ she said."

Sting gasped for breath, pushing Rogue an arm's length away so they could look each other in the eye. He looked fearful, hesitant, hopeful, and oh so vulnerable. _'Beautiful.'_

"D-does that mean..." He trailed off, but Rogue didn't need to hear the end of the question to answer it.

 _"Yes._ Everything."

Sting just stared at Rogue, mouth agape and not showing the slightest inclination of moving whatsoever.

Rogue took a deep breath. "Sting... Do you want to go out with me? For real this time?"

Instead of an answer, all Rogue got was Sting sinking to his knees, clutching at the fabric on his chest with both hands. Rogue got to his knees in an instant, supporting Sting's weight.

"Sting?! Are you alright?"

"G-gimme a moment..."

So Rogue did. He helped the trembling Sting into a sitting position with his back against the sofa, and sat beside him, close enough that he could feel the body heat radiating off Sting, but far enough that they weren't touching. It didn't stay that way for long, though. Sting slumped against Rogue's side, resting his head on Rogue's shoulder. Rogue decided to take it as an invitation to wrap his arm around Sting's shoulder and pull him even closer. When Sting sighed contently at that, Rogue went a bit farther and buried his face in Sting's soft hair, which elicited a pleased hum from Sting.

"Rogue... Kiss me, please..."

If Rogue had thought that his pulse couldn't possibly become any quicker, he'd been wrong. He tried to comply, but with the weird angle and Sting either unable or unwilling to move, it was an impossible endeavor. All he could reach was Sting's forehead, so he pressed his lips against it, reveling in the shudder he caused in Sting's body.

Lifting his free hand to caress Sting's hair, Rogue suggested, "Why don't we move onto the couch? It's much more comfortable there."

Sting crawled clumsily onto the sofa into a sitting position, his back stiff and his eyes firmly locked onto their coffee table. Rogue couldn't help the small chuckle that broke free from his throat, because who would have guessed that their guild master, who was always confident and loud would be reduced to a trembling, nervous mess when it came to this.

"I was rather thinking about lying down. I-if you want, that is."

Seeing Sting like this was truly a sight to behold. He let his body drop to the side like a stone, then stiffly re-arranged his position so that he was on his back, staring at the ceiling. Rogue briefly pondered whether lying down on top of Sting would give him a heart attack, but when Sting finally locked eyes with him, all doubt was gone. A second later found his body pressed flush against Sting's, their faces only centimeters apart.

"R-Rogue... are you... s-sure about this?"

"I am."

And with that, Rogue closed the distance between them, pressing his lips to Sting's. He was surprised to find Sting's lips tense, so he caressed Sting's hair, nape, and cheeks. Eventually, Sting relaxed, his lips softening, and the kiss grew tender, a slow slide of lips, but no more than that. Was Sting too shy to initiate something that had caused Rogue to interrupt their kiss a few days back?

Heat crept into Rogue's cheeks as he remembered just how embarrassing that situation had been. The thought of it happening again embarrassed him, and his first impulse was to run away. But he couldn't do that to Sting. Not again. And yes, he _was_ getting aroused, especially after Sting carefully started to nibble at his lips, sharp canines prickling him, careful not to break the skin.

The moment Rogue was sure that Sting _had_ to notice his arousal, Sting wrapped his arms tightly around Rogue's waist. Next thing Rogue knew, Sting reversed their positions with a swift motion, breaking the kiss in the process. The intense stare sent hot and cold shivers down Rogue's spine.

"Don't run away again. It's okay. I'm about to... get hard, too."

Even in the dim light Rogue could see the color rising in Sting's cheeks.

"I wasn't going to run away. When we first kissed, I was trying to hide my feelings from you, and getting hard seemed like something that would at least give away physical attraction. I was terrified you'd find out and... reject me..."

"I would _never_ reject you, Rogue."

"Th-that's... U-uhh." Rogue gulped, telling himself to calm down. "W-well, I didn't know then. I do now. I'm not scared anymore. I just... don't want you to feel pressured, only because I'm like that..."

The smile Sting gave him made his heart melt all over again.

"I won't. The same goes for you. I want to take this slow, do it properly. Do you want to sleep with me tonight?"

Rogue felt his cheeks heating up. "I-idiot! How's that supposed to be 'taking it slow'?"

Sting's eyes widened. "Oh... _Oh_ , crap! N-not like _that_... I... I meant... I'd like to fall asleep with you in my arms... _With clothes on!_ I-if you want, that is. I just... When we're on missions and sleep in the same room, sometimes even the same bed, or on futons next to each other... There's this strong desire to snuggle up to you, to hold you tight... It's always so hard to control. I've spent so many sleepless nights lying close to you, desperately trying _not_ to think of how good it must feel to have you in my arms... S-so I thought... that, if you're okay with it, you could spend the night with me, in my bed. Or we could sleep in your bed...?"

Rogue brought his hand up to caress Sting's cheek. "Do you even realize how adorable you are when you're flustered?"

"Sh-shut up! Will you spend the night with me or not?"

Rogue smiled involuntarily. "The way you say it makes it sound like something sexual... again."

Sting opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Rogue silenced him with a quick peck on his lips.

"Yes, I'd like to _sleep with you_. Very much."

"Now _you're_ making it sound sexual."

Sting mock-pouted, but the blush on his cheeks betrayed him.

In the most innocent tone he could muster, Rogue said, "Is that so? I'm just talking about kissing and cuddling."

Instead of answering, Sting pressed his lips against Rogue's, interlacing their fingers as the kiss deepened.

They spent the next hour like that, kissing, mocking, and caressing each other, before they decided it was time to go to bed. They brushed their teeth next to each other, never taking their eyes off the reflection of the other. Nearing the end, Sting stroked Rogue's hair with his free hand, but that caused Rogue to choke on his toothpaste. It took him a minute until he could breathe freely again, and Sting apologized a dozen times while patting his back. They changed into their sleeping clothes in separate rooms, and when Rogue finally climbed into Sting's bed, strong arms pulled him into a tight hug immediately.

Neither of them got much sleep that night.

* * *

Christmas Eve was officially a holiday in Fiore, so nobody was obligated to go to the guild during the day. Lector proposed they stay at home and head to the guild shortly before the Christmas ball would begin. Since the preparations were completed and Sting had already dealt with all the important paperwork, there was no reason for them to leave home yet. Plus, Lector asked Rogue to teach him and Frosch the basic steps of some dances.

So the four of them spent most of the day dancing in their living room. Whenever their two Exceeds got too frustrated because they couldn't remember the steps, they used their wings to dance through the air together, much to Sting and Rogue's amusement.

While dancing, Rogue pulled Sting closer than needed be, which distracted Sting to the point where he misstepped several times and Rogue had to catch him. Frosch was worried for Sting, but Lector reassured him, telling him that Rogue was taking good care of Sting and that there was nothing to worry about.

About an hour after lunch, when they decided to take a short break from dancing, Sting and Rogue became so drowsy that they nearly fell asleep on the couch, curled up against one another. Lector told them to take a nap, since it was still some hours before they needed to head out, and the two Dragon Slayers thankfully accepted the offer.

Rogue absently noted the confused look Frosch regarded them with and Lector's obvious attempt at distraction, but he was too tired to care. He'd tell Frosch later what Lector apparently already knew. And not only him; he'd make sure the whole guild knew that they were an item for real—if Sting was okay with it.

* * *

Rogue woke up to something tickling his nose and cheeks, so he let out a small huff. Soft laughter rang out right next to him, and then his face was being caressed, his lips kissed.

A smile formed on Rogue's face, making it difficult to maintain the kiss, so Sting pulled back, grinning widely.

"I'll never let you sleep alone again. I love this." Sting blushed furiously, gulped, and then his expression got serious, his eyes locked onto Rogue's. "I love you."

Hearing those three words for the first time was way more intense than Rogue thought it would. He was glad he was already lying, or else his knees would've given in.

"I love you, too."

The kiss that ensued was the sweetest, slowest, and tenderest of all the ones they'd shared so far. By the time they parted, both were flushed, short of breath, and, much to Rogue's embarrassment, hard. He didn't want to rush things, plus he was extremely nervous about doing something sexual with Sting, seeing as he didn't have any experience. It was obvious that Sting felt the same way, yet those situations (which had come up very often the last night) were still awkward.

Thankfully, Lector interrupted by knocking on their door, telling them that they had to get ready.

* * *

Since the guild's financial situation wasn't exactly good, they'd decided to just make a playlist of dance songs instead of hiring a band. Sting was in charge of starting the music, so he came running to Rogue, who was waiting for him on the dance floor.

Minerva and Yukino weren't hiding the fact that they were a couple anymore, dancing closely and sharing kisses now and then. Rufus and Orga danced awkwardly with each other, with Rufus being the female part. They stumbled many times, and once they even fell to the floor, blushing furiously when their faces ended up just centimeters apart.

Rogue was taken aback by their obvious attraction to each other—he'd never noticed.

Sting however just smiled, and said, "Looks like things are moving along between those two."

"How long has this been going on?"

"Mhhh, I'm not sure myself, since their glances were always very subtle. Or maybe I was just always too busy watching you... Anyway, I noticed the second week you were gone."

Rogue felt his face heating up again. The evening had just started, it was only the second song, and yet he already wished it was over so that he could be alone with Sting and snog him senseless.

Judging by the intense stare he got from Sting, he wasn't the only one.

"Rogue... I seriously want to kiss you right here and now... Are you okay with that?"

Even before Sting finished his question, Rogue gave him an eager nod. They stopped dead in the middle of the dance floor, and leaned in simultaneously. When their lips met, everything besides Sting faded from Rogue's attention. Sting's soft lips, his warm tongue, his sharp canines, his strong arms holding Rogue close... It was everything he needed.

By the time they parted, Minerva and Yukino had stopped dancing and as soon as the two Dragon Slayers took notice of their surroundings again, the two girls started clapping, whistling, and cheering, deluging them with congratulations and hugs.

Rogue could hear Minerva whisper to Sting, "If you want, I can watch the guild after Yukino's and my vacation for some days or even a week, so that you two can take some time off as well."

Sting answered that he'd think about it, and thanked her.

Frosch had tears in his eyes when he stammered that he always thought they were meant to be, and was happy that they finally 'belonged to each other'.

With everything out in the open, Rogue enjoyed the evening to the fullest. They danced, laughed, kissed, ate good food, drank alcohol, and were nearly kicked out of the guild by a flustered Rufus who said they should 'get a room'.

His body still buzzed with happiness when they finally lay in bed well past midnight, his body pressed close to Sting's. However, there was one thing he wanted to know before falling asleep. He had a fleeting suspicion from their brief exchange earlier, but he still hoped that he'd misunderstood.

"What exactly did you promise Minerva as reward for playing along?"

Sting tensed a bit, but Rogue could tell from his voice that he was close to falling asleep.

"About that... I think... I might've... promised she and Yukino could take... five weeks of paid holidays..."

"Do you even realize how dire the financial situation of our guild is?"

"'S okay... Minerva and Yukino worked twice 's hard 'n the las' four weeks... helped save up a bit... Sorry. I'll take... respons—ty. I can... extra solo mis—"

"No. I don't want to be separated from you. I'm happy you did it, so I'll work just as hard as you do. Let's do our best together."

Sting let out a content sigh, snuggling closer. He sounded like he was nearly asleep when he said, "What d' I do to deserve you..."

There were so many things Rogue could enumerate as a reply, but when Sting's breath evened out a moment later and he started snoring, Rogue just smiled, caressing Sting's hair.

He whispered, "Please stay with me... forever," before following Sting into the dream world.

* * *

 **Bonus: 6 months later (NSFW!)**

"You're saying that you'll clean the kitchen 'now' for four hours already, but it's still dirty..."

"I'll do it _eventually_ , so please stop nagging..."

"But I dislike seeing the kitchen dirty."

"Then look at me and ignore the kitchen. Or I could take you to bed~"

"You can take me to bed _after_ you cleaned the kitchen."

"Awww, come on, Rogue. You know you want—ouch!"

" _After_ you finished cleaning the kitchen."

"Please, _darling_..."

"Y-you...! S-stop that... h-hey... keep y-your h-hands— _ahh_ —to y-yourself... I said... _stop it, you pervert!_ "

"Ow! Okay, okay, I'll do it now!"

"You better. I'll wait for you in bed."

"Alright! I'll be done in twen—"

"Naked."

"—five minutes!"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading & please leave a Review! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!**


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